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Bourbon

Diamond State Bourbon Whiskey

OVERALL
RATING

Whiskey Review: Diamond State Bourbon Whiskey

Tasting Notes:

About:
Appearance:
Nose:
Licorice, anise, leathery fruit like raisins. Toasted maple, browned sugar, and a hint of black pepper.
Palate:
Vanilla-forward, quite sweet. Mixed with heat and acid that was hard on the tongue – lemons, maple, and cinnamon syrup. Finish: Potent, it lingered long in the throat. This is the sort of bourbon that I might bring to a friend’s dinner party – that is, if I were in charge of bringing something for a pre-meal whiskey sour. For a younger style, it certainly is complex and interesting. The intense sweetness, acidity, and bold nose works best in a drink that helps shape it, rather than on its own. Plus, it has an interesting story that makes for good cocktail chatter. FINAL SCORE: 80/100
Finish:
Potent, it lingered long in the throat.
Comments:

Diamond State BourbonEditor’s Note: We’ve just launched sign ups for our upcoming The Whiskey Wash newsletterClick here to join our list and stay informed!

Also, this whiskey was provided to us a free sample to review by the party behind it. The Whiskey Wash, while appreciative of this, did keep full independent editorial control over this article.

America is a land of men and women who make their own destinies, and the spirits world is no exception. Over the last few decades, it’s seen the major rise of  young entrepreneurs ready to shake things up.

Painted Stave Distilling (originally known as Legacy Distilling) falls squarely in this category: two guys – Ron Gomes, Jr. and Mike Rasmussen – who launched Delaware’s first standalone craft distillery after both (independently) realized a lack in the regional market. The distillery debuted the young Diamond State Bourbon Whiskey (their high-rye bourbon) in late 2015, and that release is the focus of this review.

Give the label a close look; it’s aged in months, not years. Twelve months, to be exact. But for a young one, it holds its own at the dinner table. Diamond State Bourbon Whiskey is 65% corn, 25% rye, and 10% six-row malted barley. The grain was milled, mashed, and fermented in-house and then double distilled in the distillery’s copper Vendome pot still before being aged and later bottled at 94 proof.

From Painted Stave:

Diamond State Whiskey was the last brand of whiskey produced in Delaware prior to prohibition. Our Diamond State Bourbon is the first legal bourbon made in Delaware, paying homage to our history. Our Diamond State Rye Whiskey will follow in June 2016.

Tasting Notes:

Color: Crystal clear; deep hued mahogany.

Nose: Licorice, anise, leathery fruit like raisins. Toasted maple, browned sugar, and a hint of black pepper.

Palate: Vanilla-forward, quite sweet. Mixed with heat and acid that was hard on the tongue – lemons, maple, and cinnamon syrup.

Finish: Potent, it lingered long in the throat.

This is the sort of bourbon that I might bring to a friend’s dinner party – that is, if I were in charge of bringing something for a pre-meal whiskey sour. For a younger style, it certainly is complex and interesting. The intense sweetness, acidity, and bold nose works best in a drink that helps shape it, rather than on its own. Plus, it has an interesting story that makes for good cocktail chatter.

FINAL SCORE: 80/100

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